【Chairman Mao's Comments on Li Yu of The Emperors】
Li Yu was the last emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty, known as the Southern Tang Emperor, or Li Hou Lord, and because of his well-written words, he was called "Emperor of Words".
Historically, Li Yu was a controversial figure, and most people thought of him as a failed monarch, faint and incompetent, powerless in governing the country, addicted to the wind and snow, and finally lost the country.
In fact, the evaluation of him in history is somewhat one-sided, and although the demise of the Southern Tang Dynasty has his responsibility, it is not appropriate to push the responsibility on him, and many historians have an objective evaluation of him, not one-sided.
For example, the Ming Dynasty thinker Wang Fuzhi commented on him: "There is no harm to the people, and there is no great trouble caused by Yi Lun's sexual abuse." He also said: "After the birth and gathering, the culture and education are prosperous, just like the yu feng of the people in the capital." ”
The great poet Lu You also commented: "After the Lord's talent is pure filial piety... Focus on loving the people as an emergency, endowing the service, and enriching the people's strength. Respect for the Central Plains, do not be afraid of humility, and those who rely on shao'an in the territory have five years. ”
So, how did Chairman Mao evaluate Li Yu?
In general, it is divided into two large blocks, one is a negative evaluation of Li Yu as an emperor, and the other is a positive evaluation of his poetic achievements.
On April 10, 1957, when Chairman Mao talked with the person in charge of the People's Daily, he criticized the idea of "students running newspapers" and said: "Although lord Li Hou of the Southern Tang Dynasty was versatile, he did not grasp politics and finally destroyed the country. ”
Later, Chairman Mao commented on many occasions on successive emperors to warn everyone to learn from history and uttered the famous thesis: "Old and rough characters." And there are many references to Li Yu, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty.
For example, on March 24, 1964, Chairman Mao said in a conversation: "Don't look down on the old and rude, intellectuals are relatively unproductive." In history, when emperors were many intellectuals, they did not show up, and the Sui Emperor was a person who could write articles and poems. Lord Chen Hou and Lord Li Hou are both people who can write poetry. Emperor Huizong of Song was able to write both poetry and painting. Some old and rough can do big things, such as Genghis Khan, Liu Bang, and Zhu Yuanzhang. ”
Of course, Chairman Mao commented that Li Yu had made no achievements in the political field, but he did not completely hold a negative attitude, and many times he still evaluated it from a relatively objective angle.
For example, during a conversation, several comrades knew that Chairman Mao had previously evaluated Li Yu, saying that he had made no achievements in politics and that he did not understand politics before he could destroy the country, so they told Chairman Mao that Li Yu did not understand governing the country. Chairman Mao fell into contemplation, and then said: "Li Yu is also the last king who died in Jinling, and it is inevitable that he will be reprimanded and criticized by future generations, but it must also be viewed dialectically." ”
Subsequently, Chairman Mao told a story that after Emperor Taizong of Song destroyed the Southern Tang, Zhao Guangyi asked Pan Shenxiu, an old minister of the Southern Tang, "Is Li Yu really a cowardly and incompetent person?" ”
Pan Shenxiu replied, "If he is really an incompetent and ignorant person, how can he defend the country for more than ten years?" ”
After the speech, Chairman Mao emphatically said: "This cannot be entirely blamed on the Southern Tang Dynasty, and according to the development trend of Chinese history at that time, it was impossible for him not to die." But after he took over the regime, he persisted for more than a decade, and it still makes sense. ”
Xu Xuan, an old minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty, also commented: "Li Yudun is thick and kind, and in the world of soldiers, he has a war-weary heart, although Kong Ming is still alive, it is difficult to protect the society; even though he has already committed to benevolence and righteousness, although he has destroyed the country, what is the shame?" ”
Then, why did Chairman Mao say that Li Yu did not understand politics? This has to start with his "When is the Spring Flower and Autumn Moon of Yu Meiren".
This poem can be called a classic work in the history of Chinese lexicon, let's first appreciate it:
When is the Spring Flower autumn moon? How much do you know about the past.
Xiao Lou had another east wind last night, and the homeland could not look back at the middle of the moon.
The carved fence jade should still be there, but Zhu Yan changed.
How much sorrow can you have? It is like a river of spring water flowing eastward.
At that time, after the Song Dynasty destroyed the Southern Tang Dynasty, Li Yu took Xiao Zhou hou north to Kaifeng to meet Zhao Kuangyin, who sealed him as an insulting "Disobedient Marquis", and then found him a mansion in Bieliang and became a high-level "slave of the country", but the treatment was not bad.
After Zhao Guangyi took over, he repeatedly occupied Xiao Zhou, and every time he came back, Xiao Zhou hou cried to Li Yu. However, in order to survive, they can only endure and live quietly, and you can imagine how much pain there is in their hearts.
In 978, some old ministers of the Southern Tang Dynasty came to celebrate Li Yu's birthday, and Li Yu remembered his own humiliation, and could not help but feel sad from it, so he wrote this poem.
However, this word soon spread to Song Taizong Zhao Guangyi, Zhao Guangyi took a look, to give you such a good treatment, you are still aggrieved? Still thinking about restoring the country? Therefore, Li Yu was put to death.
Therefore, Chairman Mao said that Li Yu did not understand politics and did not know how to protect himself in the most dangerous times, which was far less than the political wisdom of practicing the hardships of lying down.
Of course, Li Yu did not understand politics and could not govern the country, but his poetry level was still quite high, and Chairman Mao also admired his "versatility."
As early as 1921, shortly after Chairman Mao and Yang Kaihui were married, he went to other places to engage in revolutionary work, and because he missed his wife, he wrote a poem "Yu Meiren on the Pillow":
Pile up on the pillow, the river and the sea turn over the waves.
The night is always dark, and the lonely cloak sits up and counts the cold stars.
All the thoughts of Xiao Lai were gone, and there were still shadows left.
A hook of remnants of the moon flows westward, and there is no reason not to shed tears.
This poem is very similar to Li Yu's style, and it is also a representative work of Chairman Mao's euphoria.
After Chairman Mao arrived at Jinggangshan to stabilize himself, he sent Wu Fushou back to Hunan to inquire about Yang Kaihui's news. Wu Fushou went to inquire and learned that Yang Kaihui had been killed, and when Chairman Mao heard this, tears immediately flowed down his face and he was silent for half a day.
Wu Fushou persuaded him for a while, then got up and resigned. Chairman Mao asked him to stay, got up and took out a piece of fine wool paper from the drawer, copied a poem, and gave it to Wu Fushou.
This song is Li Yu's "Meet and Greet":
Lin Hua thanked Chun Hong, too hurried.
Helpless to come cold rain late wind.
Rouge tears, stay drunk, when heavy.
Since people grow up to hate water and grow east.
Chairman Mao copied this poem, expressing not only nostalgia and heartache for Yang Kaihui, but also expressing gratitude to Wu Fushou for inquiring into the news.
Speaking of this poem, there is also a story of Chairman Mao and the novelist Zhang Hexhui.commencing.
In August 1945, when Chairman Mao went to Chongqing for negotiations, he became acquainted with Zhang Hexhui, who was then the editor-in-chief of the Xinmin Evening News, and the two met happily.
Chairman Mao admired Zhang Hexhui's pen name and asked him the origin of this pen name, and Zhang Hexhui replied: "Hating Shui was the pen name I took when I was seventeen years old, when I first submitted an article in Suzhou, and I took it from Li Yu, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty, who 'grew up to hate water and long east.' At that time, I thought that my life was limited, and I must not let time pass in vain like flowing water, so I took this pen name. ”
After hearing this, Chairman Mao smiled and nodded, saying, "Sir's writings are equal to his body, and it is gratifying." After the main word lamented the desolate work, it was realized by Mr. So deeply, which is admirable and admirable! I have also used many pen names, but none of mr. names mean timeless. ”
As everyone knows, Chairman Mao's words are bold and unrestrained, and they belong to the bold faction, but in fact, his attainments in euphemisms are also very deep, and he once said: "There are two schools of words, gentle and bold, each with its own interests, and it should be read at the same time." My interest is biased towards extravagance, not to waste elegance. ”
Therefore, Chairman Mao also liked Li Yu's words very much, and according to the records, there were as many as 14 li Yu's words that he had read in his circle.
In the spring and summer of 1954, when Chairman Mao was on vacation in Beidaihe, he wrote down the term "Langtaosha Beidaihe", first to appreciate:
Heavy rain fell on the swallows, white waves were fierce, and fishing boats outside Qinhuangdao.
A vast ocean is gone, who do you know?
In the past, wei Wu waved his whip, and there was a posthumous chapter on the east side of jieshi.
The autumn wind is now again, changing the human world.
After writing, Chairman Mao said to the staff: "Li Yu, the lord of the Southern Tang Dynasty, also wrote "Waves and Sands", and Li Yu's words and language are good, but his style is soft and emotionally sad. ”
Later, Chairman Mao specifically said: "Li Yu's "Waves and Sands" belongs to the category of entanglement and elegance, and I used this word card to do the opposite, and wrote a bold and heroic poem, which can also be regarded as an attack on the weak winds of ancient poetry. ”
It can be seen that although Chairman Mao "does not abolish the euphemism" and also appreciates Li Yu's euphemisms, from the depths of his heart, he still prefers the flamboyant lexicon, especially the "Qinyuan Spring and Snow", which has swallowed the ancient times, and is even more known as the first masterpiece of the pompous lexicon for thousands of years, which is beyond Li Yu's expectations.
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